Joseph Gilroy, 35, faces raft of charges after Ballina NSW home peppered with bullets

Police allege a Qld man fired bullets into a northern NSW home in a drive-by shooting – narrowly missing a child’s head – after a drug and gun deal went bad. Two more men have already been sentenced.

A stretch of Brunswick St, Ballina in northern NSW. Picture: Google Maps.

Police have accused a Queensland man of firing bullets into a northern NSW home in a drive-by shooting – narrowly missing a child’s head – after a drug and gun deal went awry.

The 10 charges laid by NSW Police against Joseph Gilroy, 35, come after an ex-mine driller from north of the border Mark David Nugent, 52, was charged with involvement, but had firearm charges against him dumped last month.

Queenslander Nugent, from Collinsville, pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal group, but all other charges were withdrawn.

Mark David Nugent.

He had been accused of firing a firearm at a home with disregard for safety, firing a gun in a manner likely to injure, possessing a loaded gun in public and not keeping a gun safely, as well as possessing and using an unauthorised prohibited gun.

Meanwhile, Robert Bruce Blanch, from Ballina, was jailed in April after Lismore Local Court heard he sold a .303 rifle with a modified telescopic sight to the alleged Brunswick St, Ballina drive-by shooting target.

On Saturday, police revealed in a statement Gilroy faced charges including firing a firearm at a house with a disregard for safety, firing a gun in a manner likely to injure persons/property, receiving stolen property outside NSW valued more than $15,000 and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity.

Gilroy has been charged with shooting up the Ballina home.

Gilroy has also been charged with possessing a loaded gun endangering life in a non-public place, supplying an unregistered gun, using an unauthorised prohibited gun, possessing an unauthorised prohibited gun and two counts of not keeping a gun safely.

Police launched investigations after reports came in that a home had been sprayed with multiple bullets in a drive-by shooting about 9.15pm on April 10 last year.

Ballina Police Station. Picture: Savannah Pocock

It was reported one bullet lodged in an internal wall of the property – above a child’s head – while another four struck the exterior. No-one was physically injured.

Richmond Police set up a crime scene and worked the case under Strike Force Talmoi.

An aerial shot of Ballina. Picture: File/The Northern Star/Jay Cronan

Gilroy was arrested at Fortitude Valley in Brisbane on April 11 last year, NSW Police state.

Detectives applied for Gilroy to be extradited over the border and the request was granted on Friday, when the accused man faced Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Gilroy was charged and refused bail to face the Lismore court on Saturday. Bail was not applied for, but was refused anyway.

Gilroy is due in Lismore Local Court again on Monday. Picture: File

Blanch was earlier convicted of supplying an unregistered gun and taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug. He was addicted to methamphetamines (ice) at the time of offending, the Lismore court heard.

Blanch was sentenced to 18-months jail and was eligible for parole on June 14. It’s not yet clear if he has been released from behind bars.

Nugent was sentenced to 20-months jail and was eligible for immediate parole release.

Gilroy is due to face court again on Monday.

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